Need a sorting solution

[Rob A]

Hi,
I posted on the "microsoft.public.excel" group, I am hoping someone
different is reading this group.


Thanks



XP Pro

Excel '03 plus '07 beta...

I am doing a mail merge from excel. There are two pieces to a page. I need
to sort the list but when I do a two up page, page 1 has #1&#2 and so forth.
In small quantity that is not a big deal but when you do a 1000 pieces it
adds a lot of labor.

If my list were 500 pieces, I would need to sort the spread sheet to print
page 1 to have #1&#251 then page 2 would print piece #2&#252.

Then when I cut the stack of paper, I place one half under the other they
would be in order.

Can that be done? Also for 4 pieces to a page

the sort result would look like this
For a two to a page print I would need to sort in this order based on a 500
piece job.
1
251
2
252
3
253
4
254

For four to a page it would need to sort
1
126
251
376
2
127
252
377
3
128
253
378
4
129
254
379

 

[Jim Cone]

I couldn't understand what you wanted in your excel group post
and I still don't understand it...
Is your question about mail merging?
Is it about sorting? If you want to sort what is the sort order?
(251, 376, 2 is not a sort order I've ever seen)
Is it about re-arranging the columns?
Do want to sort a single column and then re-arrange it into multiple
columns?
Something else?
--
Jim Cone
San Francisco, USA
http://www.realezsites.com/bus/primitivesoftware



"Rob A" <[email protected]>
wrote in message
Hi,
I posted on the "microsoft.public.excel" group, I am hoping someone
different is reading this group.
Thanks
XP Pro
Excel '03 plus '07 beta...

I am doing a mail merge from excel. There are two pieces to a page. I need
to sort the list but when I do a two up page, page 1 has #1&#2 and so forth.
In small quantity that is not a big deal but when you do a 1000 pieces it
adds a lot of labor.

If my list were 500 pieces, I would need to sort the spread sheet to print
page 1 to have #1&#251 then page 2 would print piece #2&#252.

Then when I cut the stack of paper, I place one half under the other they
would be in order.

Can that be done? Also for 4 pieces to a page

the sort result would look like this
For a two to a page print I would need to sort in this order based on a 500
piece job.
1
251
2
252
3
253
4
254

For four to a page it would need to sort
1
126
251
376
2
127
252
377
3
128
253
378
4
129
254
379

 

[Rob A]

It is for a mail merge but the help is for excel, the list is in excel.
When I print 2 pieces to one page (2 up) the result is page one has row1&2,
pg two has row 3&4... My problem is that when I have the completed stack of
pages I then cut them, now I have two piles one pile is odd the other even,
1,3,5,7,9... and 2,4,6,8... I then to need to by hand take them and make one
pile in numerical order 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8...

If I my list were 500 rows I would want to be able to sort my list in this
order for a 2 up,
1,251,2,252,3,253,4,254,5,255...
Then when I am finished printing and I cut the page in in half
I would have two piles each being in numerical order,
Pile one 1,2,3,4,5...250
Pile two 251,252,253,254,255...500


The same is for 4 pieces to a page (4 up) when I print I have page one has
rows 1,2,3,4 pg two has rows 5,6,7,8 Pg3 has 9,10,11,12...I then have four
stacks that I need to manually resort to get the stack in numerical order.
For a 4 up project the order for a 500 rows would have to be
1,126,251,376, 2,127,252,377, 3,128,253,378 4,129,254,379
For the same reason, when I am finished printing I have for piles and each
pile is in numerical order.
Pile one 1,2,3,4...125
Pile two 126,127,128,129...250
Pile three 251,252,253,254...375
Pile four 376,377,378,379...500

I hope this explains better

Thanks

 

[Jim Cone]

I think I got it...
With your data in Excel in a single column say 500 items...
In an adjacent column, fill down numbers from 1 to 500.
This column is to verify that the desired order is achieved.
In another adjacent column fill down from 1 to 125, then
repeat that 3 more times. You will have four consecutive
sets of 1 to 125 in that column.
Sort all three columns by that last column.
Clear the other columns and do your mail merge.
--
Jim Cone
San Francisco, USA
http://www.officeletter.com/blink/specialsort.html


It is for a mail merge but the help is for excel, the list is in excel.
When I print 2 pieces to one page (2 up) the result is page one has row1&2,
pg two has row 3&4... My problem is that when I have the completed stack of
pages I then cut them, now I have two piles one pile is odd the other even,
1,3,5,7,9... and 2,4,6,8... I then to need to by hand take them and make one
pile in numerical order 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8...

If I my list were 500 rows I would want to be able to sort my list in this
order for a 2 up,
1,251,2,252,3,253,4,254,5,255...
Then when I am finished printing and I cut the page in in half
I would have two piles each being in numerical order,
Pile one 1,2,3,4,5...250
Pile two 251,252,253,254,255...500


The same is for 4 pieces to a page (4 up) when I print I have page one has
rows 1,2,3,4 pg two has rows 5,6,7,8 Pg3 has 9,10,11,12...I then have four
stacks that I need to manually resort to get the stack in numerical order.
For a 4 up project the order for a 500 rows would have to be
1,126,251,376, 2,127,252,377, 3,128,253,378 4,129,254,379
For the same reason, when I am finished printing I have for piles and each
pile is in numerical order.
Pile one 1,2,3,4...125
Pile two 126,127,128,129...250
Pile three 251,252,253,254...375
Pile four 376,377,378,379...500

I hope this explains better

Thanks

 

[Rob A]

You are an absolute genius.

I think I got it...
With your data in Excel in a single column say 500 items...
In an adjacent column, fill down numbers from 1 to 500.
This column is to verify that the desired order is achieved.
In another adjacent column fill down from 1 to 125, then
repeat that 3 more times. You will have four consecutive
sets of 1 to 125 in that column.
Sort all three columns by that last column.
Clear the other columns and do your mail merge.
--
Jim Cone
San Francisco, USA
http://www.officeletter.com/blink/specialsort.html


It is for a mail merge but the help is for excel, the list is in excel.
When I print 2 pieces to one page (2 up) the result is page one has
row1&2,
pg two has row 3&4... My problem is that when I have the completed stack
of
pages I then cut them, now I have two piles one pile is odd the other
even,
1,3,5,7,9... and 2,4,6,8... I then to need to by hand take them and make
one
pile in numerical order 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8...

If I my list were 500 rows I would want to be able to sort my list in this
order for a 2 up,
1,251,2,252,3,253,4,254,5,255...
Then when I am finished printing and I cut the page in in half
I would have two piles each being in numerical order,
Pile one 1,2,3,4,5...250
Pile two 251,252,253,254,255...500


The same is for 4 pieces to a page (4 up) when I print I have page one has
rows 1,2,3,4 pg two has rows 5,6,7,8 Pg3 has 9,10,11,12...I then have four
stacks that I need to manually resort to get the stack in numerical order.
For a 4 up project the order for a 500 rows would have to be
1,126,251,376, 2,127,252,377, 3,128,253,378 4,129,254,379
For the same reason, when I am finished printing I have for piles and each
pile is in numerical order.
Pile one 1,2,3,4...125
Pile two 126,127,128,129...250
Pile three 251,252,253,254...375
Pile four 376,377,378,379...500

I hope this explains better

Thanks

 

[Jim Cone]

Glad I was able to help.
Jim Cone


"Rob A" <[email protected]>
wrote in message
You are an absolute genius.